(d.625) Vitalis was a hermit monk from the Gaza region who felt called to go to Alexandria, Egypt, and minister to prostitutes. He would work as a day laborer, then spend his wages on a prostitute each evening, requesting she spend the night without sin. He would then listen, teach, and pray with them. Vitalis was stabbed in the head while leaving a brothel. Some reports say he was killed by a pimp who wanted him to quit interfering with his business, others believe it was a man scandalized by his frequenting these brothels. During his burial, many former prostitutes came and processed with candles, explaining the nature and impact of his ministry.
Vitalis took an extreme approach to evangelization that only the truly pure of heart could accomplish. He gave the women he ministered to the opportunity to stop the madness, if only for one night, and examine their lives. He shared the good news that a new way of life was possible. How have you carried the message by listening to and sharing with others in your recovery fellowship?
“Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart” (Saint Vitalis of Gaza).
Reflection by Brad Farmer